By Darcy Rezac
At first glance, it appears to be a typo. Should it not be, “the medium is the message?” No, it’s actually the median. The Rix Center For Corporate Citizenship & Engaged Leadership, established by The Vancouver Board of Trade and the late Dr. Don Rix, CM, OBC in December 2008, has an overarching goal to “bump the lamp” on corporate citizenship and engaged leadership.
“Bump the lamp” comes from the story of the making of Disney’s Roger Rabbit cartoon movie. One of the cartoonists noticed when a lamp was bumped, the shadows didn’t follow the swaying lamp. In the days of hand-drawn frames, this individual took it upon himself to draw the hundreds of frames so the shadows followed, making a huge difference to the quality of the cartoon. It’s become known as “bumping the lamp,” – going the extra mile to make a difference.
Not only was he an exemplary corporate and community citizen, a philanthropist and tireless volunteer, Dr. Rix was the kind of person who takes it upon himself to go that extra distance. (see The Story of Don Rix). A few years ago, a young courier was delivering samples to one of Don’s medical labs in Richmond. On the way back, on the Oak Street Bridge, a vehicle strayed across the median and hit the courier’s van, head on. He was killed instantly. He had a small child, a new wife, a mortgage and no insurance. Don went to work to have a median installed on the bridge, to raise money and provide further help for the devastated young widow. He wouldn’t give up. He fought the government bureaucracy relentlessly until he achieved his goal.
The result was the Oak Street Bridge median, which has since saved countless lives. The story comes full circle: the courier’s son recently enrolled in university on the scholarship Don set up. So, when you drive across that bridge, remember “the median that Don built,” and think about how we as individuals can effect changes that benefit society with our time, talent and treasure, and then take it one more step.
When it comes to remarkable acts of engaged citizenship, the Oak Street Bridge median is a signature example: The Dr. Rix prescription for engaged citizenship.
To learn more about the establishment of The Rix Center, please see The Concept Behind the Rix Center.
